Author
I’m so excited to share the cover of my next book, Thank God for Mississippi. It has it all: a porch, a rocking chair, ferns, and oh-so-Southern hydrangeas. It also has a bit of swirly font that reflects the (slight) chaos that ensues within the book. Without further ado, I give you the cover!
Thank God for Mississippi is written in first person perspective—a totally new experiment for me! Since I have been writing for about twelve years, I have only ever written within the third person realm, sometimes with a bird’s eye view and sometimes within a character’s mind. But Mississippi simply refused to allow me not to allow her to tell her own story. Here is an audio I recorded explaining in a bit more detail the perspective in TGFM.
Hi friends! This is the first in a series of articles in which I (with the help of my sister) am going to be exploring history, historical controversies, the way we look back on history, and more!
Check out the link here to learn about our training and credentials (or in my case, lack thereof!).
Continue reading “Ask the Historian: #1 – Introduction Q&A”Some of my readers may think of me primarily as an author of Historical Fiction, while some may associate me more with the modern elements of my time-slip series. I do tend to identify more as a historical fiction author, and actually, Thank God for Mississippi is my first full-length modern book. So I recorded a little audio on the reasons I decided to publish this one before my next historical novel that was in the queue. Here is the audio:
Continue reading “Why Modern?”Hi friends!
I am reviewing my most anticipated book of 2021, The Women of Chateau Lafayette, today. I don’t review many books anymore, especially if I have any critiques to make (my thoughts on this in a later post), but there are certain authors who are too famous for my polite criticisms to injure their sales. And when I do make them, you can be sure that it’s because I have a great deal of respect for the author. Usually, I think many issues with books by more well-known authors are at least half the fault of the publishing world. So, with that in mind, here we go… [Note: There are mild spoilers ahead.]
Continue reading “Review: The Women of Chateau Lafayette”Hi friends! I am excited to announce a new series that is going to be running on the blog called “Ask the Historian.” There is going to be a series of five articles exploring approaches to history, the discipline of history, the way we look back on history and feel emotional, as well as some of the more controversial topics we have seen in the news and heard about involving history’s connection with the present.
Continue reading “Ask the Historian Series”My next book is going to be a modern day book set in small town Tennessee! I am excited about this book – I love this story and these characters, and I think you will, too. So what is the book about? I know we all like to categorize books, but this one is a little hard to do. Is there romance? Yes, subtly. Is there mystery? A little. Is there a Women’s Fiction Element? To a certain degree. Is it a commentary on small town Southern life? In many respects. Is there humor? Yes. Basically, it’s just life. I dug deep for this one, striving to strip it of anything inauthentic. I believe you will love it from cover to cover!
Continue reading “New Book – First Details!”Introduction:
The following is a collaboration by Lance Elliott Wallace of New South Essays Blog and Tara Cowan of Tea & Rebellion Blog. We are excited to share a Q&A on Southern life and culture based on questions we have received. Before we jump in, we thought we would give you an idea of our conception of Southern culture. Southern culture is, by its very nature, multicultural. Historically, the South is rich in diversity with heritages including Native American, Spanish, English, Scottish, Irish, African, French, Mexican, and Central and South American, just to name a few! A blending of many cultures and the passage of time has led to certain social trends, habits, and styles that can be identified as distinctly Southern. At the same time, there remain many individual cultures within the South that maintain their own distinctive identities. Self-identification as Southern cuts both ways, sometimes celebrating history and values that are not shared by the subcultures that make up the regional identity. It’s not always pretty, but the complexity provides endless opportunity for exploration and commentary. This is a broad overview to keep in mind as you read!
Continue reading “Southern Q&A”Charleston Tides History Behind the Story – Outtakes
There were a few historical tidbits covered in Charleston Tides that didn’t quite merit their own posts, so I thought it would be fun to do a lightning “History Behind the Story” round covering five “outtake” topics. As always, there are a few spoilers ahead if you haven’t read the series. Here we go!
Continue reading “History Behind the Story – Outtakes”Hi friends! I have updated the answers to a couple of my previous Q&As to provide greater clarity. I just wanted to officially note them on the blog to flag them for you, but you will also find them in their places on the Q&A tabs. Thanks!
Q: Do you write Christian Fiction or General Market?
A: General Market. For now, I do not feel led to market my books as Christian Fiction. I am a Christian, and there are Christian elements in my books because I try to write authentically, and faith is such a deep reality for me. It would be impossible for me to take faith out of my characters’ lives when I am trying to craft three-dimensional figures who reflect real life. I receive God’s inspiration and seek His guidance as I write. However, readers should be aware that I do not seek to mold my writing to any narrative generally required of authors who publish and market as Christian Fiction. I write organically and authentically to myself and my characters, and I am not bound by editorial guidelines as to allowable themes, moral tones, or character resolutions. My books are General Market – Historical Fiction/Contemporary Fiction that happen to have characters who have/grapple with faith.
Q: Does Charleston Tides stand alone?
A: No. You need to start with Book 1, Southern Rain, and continue with Book 2, Northern Fire, to get the full story and understand everything that happens in the series. In that way, the series is a bit like a saga, but I don’t call it that because the word “saga,” in addition to just meaning a long story, which this is, also can mean a highly emotional, heroic tale, which this is not.
Tara Cowan 